By Erika Hernandez
A truck loaded with fireworks caught fire and exploded Saturday night on Interstate 75 (I-75) in Hamilton County, Tennessee.generating a series of explosions that forced the authorities to temporarily close the highway.
The incident occurred northbound on the highway, when a white truck towing a trailer began emitting smoke while traveling on the road. For reasons that have not yet been specified, the trailer ended up catching fire and the flames reached the load of pyrotechnic material, according to WKRN
Explosions visible from various points
Teams from the Chattanooga Fire Department and the Tri-Neighborhood Volunteer Fireplace Division responded to the scene to control the emergency, while other agencies diverted traffic and established a security perimeter due to the risk of new explosions.
Local resident Cameron Parker approached a walkway over the highway after hearing a series of loud bangs. From there he recorded a video showing dozens of fireworks exploding simultaneously on the road, while columns of smoke rose from the trailer.
“What’s going on?” Parker asked at the beginning of the recording.
Later, while watching the unintentional spectacle with other onlookers, he joked: “Is this the big closing?”
The video quickly went viral on social networks and accumulated millions of views in a few hours.
The truck survived the fire
Photographs released by firefighters show that the trailer was completely destroyed after the fire. However, the truck that was towing it was surprisingly little affected.
The images show that the vehicle barely suffered superficial damage and some burn marks, despite the magnitude of the explosions.
Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported during the incident.
The closure of I-75 lasted for more than three hours while emergency crews extinguished the fire and secured the area. Traffic began to be gradually restored around 11:00 p.m.
So far, authorities have not reported what caused the initial fire that triggered the chain of explosions. The investigation continues to determine the exact causes of the incident.
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